F. Genchi1; G. Martino2; M. P. Maiorano1; R. Garba3; W.

Al-Ghafri4
1Dept.

of History and Culture, University of Bologna, Italy; 2Dept. of Humanities, University of Genoa, Italy; 3Department of Archaeology and Ancient
History, University of Leicester, United Kingdom; 4Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Sultanate of Oman

FIREPLACE
STONE STRUCTURE
FLINT SCATTER
TRILITH
GRAVE
MAIN SEZAD AREAS

The Ad-Duqm area (al-Wusta region, Sultanate of Oman) is located in eastern-central Oman and it is marked by a relatively flat
topography (Quaternary sedimentary cover) with some residual hills (mostly Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary). In NovemberDecember 2015 an Italian team, headed by Dr. Francesco Genchi, surveyed the whole area covered by the Duqm Special Economic
Zone Authority (SEZAD) with a focus on the assessment of the archaeological potential and related risks; identification of the new
sites and validation of the existing sites in a previously investigated region.
The team recorded about 900 archaeological evidences, ranging from a single earth to clusters of tumuli tombs, from flint scatters to a
complexes of triliths and stratified open-air sites. The archaeological evidence belong to a wide chronological interval, at least from
Late Pleistocene, with some earlier more dubitative evidences, to the early I millennium AD. The huge amount of data, all conveyed in
a GIS database, will be used both for the investigations on land-use modalities, resources acquisition strategies, population dynamics
and as an analytical tool the MOHC (Ministry of Heritage and Culture) will use in all the phases of the archaeological valorisation of
this Region. Data will be also used for preservation of the archaeological heritage within the SEZAD economic zone.

To perform an overall survey in the SEZAD, the area (1745 km2) was subdivided into 28
virtual sectors, whose boundaries reflect both the limits of development areas and the
morphological features observed on the terrain. The fieldwork has allowed identifying
different types of structural remains: stone cairns or tumuli graves, located along the rims of
wadyan terraces or on hill crests; triliths and different types of lithic scatters. Some of the
mapped sites correspond to sites already discovered by the COPS Project in 2007-2008
(University of Basel) and the French Archaeological Mission Shores of Arabian Sea (20122015), while several evidences have been newly recorded.
To produce an accurate map of archeological risk, each archaeological feature was
documented by high resolution images, GPS position and mapping, detailed metrical
measurements and descriptions, geographical contextualization. For the most interesting
sites, an exhaustive relief by total station has been done (fig. 1). This work allowed the
creation of a precise census and accurate systematization of archaeological data in order to
make easily accessible all the information.

The research area offers clear evidence of intense and repeated settlement episodes during Pleistocene and EarlyMiddle Holocene, probably linked to the widespread outcrops of Tertiary geological formations, where flint of exceptional
quality can be easily found in different outcrops. The lithic clusters so far recognized are mainly characterized by wide
surface scatters (fig. 6) usually localized in the immediate surroundings of the primary outcrops, while coastal settlements
are nonetheless present, but very rare.
Many lithic concentrations are linked to Holocene foliate reduction sequences and
all the characteristic by products can be easily found, together with rarer finished
or almost finished products (fig. 3), while a good number of surface scatters, with
laminar and rarer lamellar cores (fig. 4) and blanks with a very low degree of
transformation (fig. 5), suggest an Upper Paleolithic attribution.
Only few sites are characterized by
flake assemblages (fig. 7) with both
unipolar recurrent and centripetal
cores thus pointing to an older phase
(Early and Middle Paleolithic) and widening the chronological frame of the
intense occupation of this pericoastal area in Prehistory.

Triliths are the Late Iron Age stone monuments characterized by the
three upright flat stones on a low platform filled with small pebbles,
associated with arranged square-like shape stones and large
fireplaces (fig. 2a). Triliths are forming prominent landmarks in the
landscape with symbolic significance. Interpretation is difficult, but
they are probably used as a space in the landscape for religious and
social rituals of nomadic tribes and tribal alliances. The team recorded
evidence of total of 130 trilith groups/clusters and 8 trilith complexes
(seven within the SEZAD area and one outside in wadi Sidrah). The
highest concentration of triliths was recorded in 5 km long section of
wadi Nafun with more than 64 trilith clusters in heterogeneous
compositions and various stages of preservation (fig. 2b). The
longest trilith cluster form a line of 63 m long with peculiarly located
ring of hearths surrounding neighboring hilltop. Collected data will
form the base for further studies on the spatial distribution of triliths,
landscape context and relation vis--vis patterns of tribal mobility.

The cairns identified follow an identical general

architectural organization. Below the pile of stones
covering the cairn, the main architectural feature of
construction was a peripheral stone ring, laid around the
perimeter of the tumulus. This circular feature seems to
be composed of two or more rows of stone (fig. 8), an
internal row of big blocks and upright stones against
which was set an external line of smaller boulders.
Since offerings were rarely exposed, the age of these
tombs remains unknown. This applies also for the stone
cairns or tumuli, i.e. circular pile of stones of various size
that were stacked over the deceased person. The rather
small size (usually between 2 and 4 m across) points to
individual and not collective burials. Only a very few
exceptional structures recall the sophisticated tombs
from the later Bronze Age. In the area around Saay
village, where many of the tombs are severely eroded,
exposed grave goods such as ceramics and pieces of
weaponry made of iron suggest a period from Late
Bronze Age to Late Iron Age (fig. 9).

Special thanks to:

the entire staff of the Ministry of Heritage & Culture of the Sultanate of Oman. This project would have not been possible without the wise guidance of Undersecretary H. E. Salim Mohammed al-Mahrooqi, and the Advisor for Special Project, H. E. Hassan Mohammed Ali al-Lawati. Many
thanks to Mr. Sultan Saif Nasser Al-Bakri, Additional Director General for Archaeology and Museums, for his continuous support and the resources provided for the team, and to Mr. Khamis al-Asmi, Director of the Department for Excavations and Archaeological Studies. We want to
thanks the staff of SEZADDuqm for the logistic sustain and Prof. Maurizio Tosi for the scientific support and his important advices. Thanks come to John Munnery for English edit.